With the 2023 NFL Draft now in the books, we, too, shift gears with the transition from the first half of a compilation series called “Rough Draft” to the second half of that series labeled “Final Draft”. With that shift, we will now discuss the selections that each team made in the draft and how those picks will impact the team both this season and in the future. The first of these teams will be the Tennessee Titans.
Tennessee did not appear to be building towards this coming season but, rather, appears to have an eye towards future growth as possibly all but their first-round selection will see limited to no snaps in their collective rookie season.
Who Did The Tennessee Titans Pick In The NFL Draft?
The Titans first round pick, offensive tackle Peter Skoronski – Northwestern, is a great pick that could be argued as the best, pure value, pick of all the offensive linemen in this class. Skoronski was arguably the best offensive tackle in this class, or a very close second to Paris Johnson Jr. – Ohio State, and with the 1.11 selection, he came off the board five picks later than Johnson. Furthermore, he was not even the second offensive tackle selected, that honor went to Darnell Wright – Tennessee who was selected with the 1.10 pick by the Chicago Bears. By staying out and not maneuvering within the first round, the fifth pick left I traded to that point in the draft, Tennessee managed to secure a left tackle which should secure the blind side of their quarterback for the next decade.
Immediately after the selection, speculation arose as to whether Skoronski would play tackle after the Titans signed former Eagles tackle Andre Dillard to a three year, $29 million dollar contract. Dillard, himself, was a former first-round selection in 2019 but, he played just 58 snaps in relief last season and appears unlikely to be tapped as the starter at tackle. He may move to the vacated left guard position instead, allowing Tennessee to further secure the left half of the offensive line.
"I know they're just a really physical team, a team that's always competitive. I think that kind of mentality as an organization, I am really happy to be a part of."
Titans Select Northwestern OL Peter Skoronski in the First Round of Thursday's NFL Draft
— Tennessee Titans (@Titans) April 28, 2023
What QB Did The Tennessee Titans Draft?
The Titans second-round pick was a bit more interesting due to the value and upside the player presents. Starting Day Two of the NFL Draft with the tenth pick of the second round, Tennessee moved up to the second pick of the second round, executing a trade with Arizona which involved the Cardinals sending the Titans their second and third round picks in 2023, picks 33 and 81 overall, for Tennessee’s second and third picks in 2023, picks 41 and 72 overall, as well as the Titans third-round selection in 2024.
With their newly obtained pick, Tennessee selected quarterback Will Levis – Kentucky. Levis was projected to be a top ten selection until very late in the draft process as rumors persisted as to how teams viewed his personality, an existing toe injury that may require surgery at some point in the future, and his inability to beat out Sean Clifford for the starting job when he was at Penn State. Furthermore, after the Colts selected Anthony Richardson as the fourth pick, few teams remaining in the first round had quarterback as their primary need. The Titans themselves were tied to Levis at pick 11 before they ultimately passed in favor of the aforementioned Skoronski. The fall Levis experienced was an interesting story given his pre-draft valuation, undeniable skill, and a case study into how concerns that are not central to his on the field play, are valued by some teams.
Ultimately, the Levis pick addresses a looming concern for Tennessee, that being the contract of Ryan Tannehill, set to expire at the end of this season, as well as his long-term viability, as he is set to turn 35 this season. Additionally, the Titans’ third-round pick from last year, Malik Willis, has failed to live up to expectations in his rookie season, starting three games, completing just over half of his passes, failing to pass for more than 100 yards in any game he played in, while throwing no touchdowns and three interceptions. Given the contract and age of Tannehill in conjunction with the prior performance of Willis, look for Levis to likely start the season as the starter in 2024, with an outside shot of displacing Tannehill and assuming the starting role as early as midway through this season.
Traded up for a QB! #NFLDraft pic.twitter.com/6iJ7SmJn6D
— Tennessee Titans (@Titans) April 28, 2023
Did The Tennessee Titans Draft Well Based On Their Needs?
In the third round, with the 81st pick they obtained in the trade with Arizona, the Titans selected Tyjae Spears – Tulane. The pick, in and of itself, is not a horrible selection given the production Spears had at Tulane. However, given news that his medical examinations in the lead up to the NFL Draft were troubling, to say the least, suddenly cast this pick in a new light. It was revealed this week that Spears’ ACL, which was torn and repaired twice in his career thus far, is all but nonexistent and that his career could be significantly shortened as a result of this injury. Just how short is the real question, however, and one must question if Derrick Oien Henry ultimately ends up remaining in the league longer than Spears. This does also raise the question of whether this selection might have been better used to address more pressing needs such as a wide receiver or more offensive line help.
HOUSTON, TX - DECEMBER 29: Tennessee Titans running back Derrick Oien Henry (22) runs the ball during the game between the Tennessee Titans and Houston Texans on December 29, 2019 at NRG Stadium in Houston, TX. (Photo by Daniel Dunn/Icon Sportswire)
Tennessee’s remaining selections include tight end Josh Whyle – Cincinnati at pick 147, offensive tackle Jaelyn Duncan – Maryland at pick 186, and wide receiver Colton Dowell – Tennessee-Martin at pick 228.
Whyle has a shot at some early playing time, backing up Chigoziem Okonkwo while Duncan and Dowell could see playing time in the event of injuries. Ultimately, the Titans’ Day Three selections are less about upside and more about depth and none of the group have particularly high ceilings but, they do also have high floors, making them, essentially, replacement level talent.
What Draft Grade Did The Tennessee Titans Get?
In the first half of the series, the “Rough Draft” portion, I provided likelihoods of a given team selecting various positions and prospects from those positions. In this half of the series. “Final Draft” I will provide two grades, one for immediate value, that being players who can potentially start within the first two seasons of their career, and long-term value, that being players who may not start immediately but, who could start for the team in a pinch or that have a longer development time.
In the case of Tennessee, the immediate value grade they receive is a B+. Their ability to grab an elite offensive tackle as the third lineman off the board was quite a stroke of luck and their ability to get a potential starting quarterback that was touted as a top ten selection, all the way down in the second round was exceptional value. The injury concerns with Spears, however, does throw some cold water on the upside of the group. In terms of long-term value, the Titans receive a grade of B-. The group of players that could be viewed as long-term values all have limited upside and the team failed to take much risk with the hopes of significant upside in these selections. With the one exception of Whyle, I do not foresee a significant amount of playing time for any of the remaining selections.
